Oregon State MBB Loses Two Scorers In Closing Days of Regular Season
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As Oregon State close out the regular season, they'll be playing without two of their better guards.
Beavers' head coach Wayne Tinkle noted this week that junior Dez White and freshman Matija Samara will miss additional time after both were not able to play in OSU's win over Pepperdine this past Saturday. White is dealing with an upper body injury while Samar's injury is in his right leg.
MORE: Oregon State, Josiah Lake II, Come From Behind Against Pepperdine 83-73
Per James Crepa of The Oregonian, Tinkle isn't sure if either will be ready to return if the Beavers are able to make a deep run in the West Coast Conference tournament.
White, in his first season with the program after transferring from Missouri State, is shooting 37 percent from the floor this season with an average of 9.6 points per game, in addition to 2.8 rebounds per game.
Samar, a Slovenian national, made a season-high of four three-point baskets in his most recent outing against Seattle U. Primarily playing a role off of the bench, Samar is averaging 4.9 points per game.
MORE: Oregon State Dominates Cougars in 79-51 Blowout
In Oregon State's aforementioned recent victory over Pepperdine, the Beavers needed higher outputs from Josiah Lake II and Isaiah Sy in the backcourt. Lake and Sy combined for 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists.
With an overall record of 15-14 and a West Coast Conference record of 8-8, the Beavers have two regular season contests remaining. They'll host San Diego at Gill Coliseum on Wednesday, February 25 at 7 p.m. PT on ESPN+. Following that, they'll play their regular season finale at Santa Clara on Saturday, February 28 at 5 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network.
Oregon State are currently fourth in the WCC standings. The No. 3 and No. 4 seeds will get byes to the quarterfinals of the tournament, while the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will get byes to the semifinals. The WCC tournament is scheduled to begin on Thursday, March 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
About State of the Beavs
Each week, veteran sports broadcaster and writer Matt Bagley examines the news and storylines at play for Oregon State University Athletics. Occasionally joined by contributors for On SI's coverage of the Beavers, as well as the occasional guest spot from Beavers past, present, and future. Get caught up with the playlist below. New episodes are typically released on Tuesday mornings.
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Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.
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